10/19/2013 |
Winter League roundup: Inciarte paces Zulia in winCenter fielder Ender Inciarte, a former Rule 5 Draft pick now in the D-backs organization, went 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and three runs while Mark Minicozzi drove in three runs, including two on a double in Zulia's four-run fourth inning. Six Zulia pitchers combined to strike out seven and scattered only four hits. Caribes, meanwhile, got three shutout innings in relief from Orioles lefty T.J. McFarland, who allowed two hits. Caribes starter Richard Salazar allowed all six runs on six hits and two walks over 2 1/3 innings.

10/19/2013 |
Avila starts behind plate in Game 6 for TigersTigers catcher Alex Avila, who suffered a strained patellar tendon in his left knee Thursday in a collision at home plate, was back in the starting lineup Saturday for Game 6.

10/19/2013 |
Too soon for Colletti to focus on sure-to-be-busy winterThe Dodgers have a manager, his coaching staff, 12 free agents and a couple high-priced contract extensions to resolve in the coming months, not to mention the occasional front-office reassignments that sometimes fly under the radar.

10/19/2013 |
Gomez undergoes 'routine' surgery on right elbowBrewers outfielder and club Most Valuable Player Carlos Gomez underwent surgery on his right elbow after the season, and assistant general manager Gord Ash characterized it Saturday as "routine."

10/19/2013 |
St. Louis recognizes how tough LA was as opponentThough the National League Championship Series closed with a runaway 9-0 win by the Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Friday night, St. Louis was quick to recognize amid its celebration that the Game 6 score was hardly indicative of how tough an opponent the Dodgers had been.

10/19/2013 |
Their wounds fresh, Dodgers wait to reflectUntil the Cardinals' rout in Friday's series-clinching Game 6 at Busch Stadium, the opponents appeared mostly well-matched. Ultimately, however, merely coming close was far from enough for the Dodgers.

10/19/2013 |
Road to the World Series: Oct. 19, 2013The Cardinals have navigated the Road to the World Series yet again, pulling up to baseball's pinnacle event in style. The Red Sox and Tigers both hope to join them in the Fall Classic.

10/19/2013 |
At last, Beltran will get taste of Fall ClassicCarlos Beltran was one game away from reaching a World Series seven times, but on Friday night, he secured his first trip to the Fall Classic while helping the Cardinals clinch the National League Championship Series over the Dodgers.

10/19/2013 |
Puig ends wild rookie year with work to doYasiel Puig committed three defensive misplays in Friday night's Game 6 of the National League Championship Series, facilitating the Cardinals' rout that sent the Dodgers home.

10/19/2013 |
Vintage Cards attack overwhelms DodgersIt took until the third inning of Game 6 of the National League Championship Series, but the Cardinals finally looked like themselves at the plate in a 9-0 rout of the Dodgers in Game 6 to clinch a trip to the World Series.

10/19/2013 |
Robinson makes most of rare start for CardsWhen Shane Robinson arrived at Busch Stadium on Friday afternoon, manager Mike Matheny asked him if he was ready to go. He said he was, and he backed it up with two hits and two RBIs in the Game 6 victory.

10/19/2013 |
Beltran overjoyed to finally reach Fall ClassicSeven times before this crisp October night, Carlos Beltran's team had played a game in which a win meant a trip to the World Series. Seven times, his team had lost. With the Cardinals' 9-0 victory Friday in Game 6 of the NLCS, Beltran's decade of heartbreak was over.

10/19/2013 |
Kershaw, Dodgers stunned by rare ugly startClayton Kershaw was supposed to send the Dodgers to Game 7. He was supposed to pitch as well as he has for the past 6 1/2 months, and that was supposed to be enough to force a deciding National League Championship Series game. Instead, the presumptive NL Cy Young Award winner was barely recognizable in a season-ending 9-0 loss to the Cardinals on Friday, giving up seven runs over four-plus innings of one of his worst career starts.

10/19/2013 |
No matter opponent, Cards expect tough World SeriesAs champagne sprayed in the home clubhouse after a 9-0 win on Friday night to clinch the National League Championship Series, the Cardinals were not about to say whether they preferred a World Series matchup with Detroit or Boston.

10/18/2013 |
Card trick: Rout sends St. Louis to World SeriesThe celebration began early at Busch Stadium on Friday night, as the Cardinals chased Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw and cruised to a 9-0 victory to clinch the National League pennant in Game 6 of the NLCS.

10/18/2013 |
House of Cards: St. Louis celebrates at homeAfter St. Louis defeated the Dodgers in Game 6 of the NLCS, the party was on inside the home clubhouse. Players screamed. Champagne corks popped. Beer poured. Music blared. It's a common scene in October and one that is becoming a habit for the Cardinals, who are making their fourth World Series appearance since 2004.

10/18/2013 |
Playoff ouster dampens Dodgers' remarkable seasonThe Dodgers engineered one of the more remarkable midseason comebacks in Major League history, winning 42 of 50 games and leaping from last place to first in exactly one month en route to a 92-win season and a division title. Then they lost the National League Championship Series in six games to the Cardinals, which overshadowed all the rest.

10/18/2013 |
Wacha! Wacha! No joke, rookie named NLCS MVPCardinals rookie right-hander Michael Wacha put together arguably the greatest National League Championship Series ever by a rookie pitcher, and he was named the NLCS Most Valuable Player Award winner after leading the Cards to the World Series with yet another sterling postseason performance in Friday night's 9-0 blanking of the Dodgers in Game 6.

10/18/2013 |
Dodgers face decisions on host of playersThe Dodgers fly home Saturday, suitcases filled with clean clothes that won't be worn at the World Series, a chartered jet loaded with a dozen players and one manager who could become free agents.

10/18/2013 |
Cards have history with Red Sox, TigersNow that they've wrapped up their 19th National League pennant, the St. Louis Cardinals can start preparing for the 109th World Series. Meanwhile, the Red Sox and Tigers continue to fight in the American League Championship Series for the right to take on the Redbirds in the Fall Classic.